98. Bekweseta, the Demon God’s Little Lamb(8) The red-haired man looking at Taesan frowned.
“He's young.”
At most, he looked to be in his twenties. Age was usually proportional to strength. A twenty-something would have trained for barely a decade.
“To think the four of us had to come for a brat like this.”
The white-haired man snorted.
“You think I came here because I wanted to?”
They were Sword Masters. The strongest humans in this world. Even the Head of the Magic Tower would be no match for them.
And yet, four of them had to team up to face one person. It was a blow to their pride. Moreover, they belonged to different nations.
Having to cooperate when they were rivals, it was natural they wouldn't feel good about it. The blue-haired man spoke calmly.
“It was a direct order from the main god. Don't complain.”
The white-haired man snorted with a displeased look.
“Hoh!”
The blond man's eyes lit up as he looked at Taesan.
“Are you the knight protecting the Princess? How brave!”
Unlike the other Sword Masters, he sent a friendly gaze toward Taesan. The red-haired man stepped forward aggressively.
“Step aside, Atria.”
“Hm? Are you planning to do it alone?”
“What, should the four of us rush him? A little kid like this?”
“That would feel rather unpleasant.”
The blond Sword Master called Atria readily stepped back. They knew Taesan was a Mage. And at the level of a Sword Master, they could gain the upper hand even if their opponent was the Head of the Magic Tower.
“I'm first.”
“As you wish.”
The other Sword Masters also stepped back. The red-haired man drew his sword. It was a longsword with no distinguishing features.
A blue light erupted over it. It was denser and larger than Garant's. The red-haired man took his stance.
“Shall we begin?”
“Fine by me.”
Taesan smiled. Aura.
He was finally seeing how to use it properly.
Tat.
The red-haired man kicked off. Taesan moved his arm.
Clang.
Sword met sword. The red-haired man's pupils widened slightly.
“A fine sword.”
Even after clashing with the Aura, Taesan's sword didn't have the slightest scratch. Greed appeared on the red-haired man's face.
“I'll have to take it as a spoil of war.”
Kagagak!
The blue light flickered, aiming for Taesan's entire body. It was much faster than Garant's. ‘That's not his physical speed.’ It seemed he had enhanced his physical abilities with something like Aura.
But it wasn't that impressive. It was a speed he could handle entirely even while moving leisurely.
“Ho, impressive.”
Unaware that Taesan was holding back, the red-haired man exclaimed in admiration.
“I heard you were a Mage, but you've trained your body as well? Not bad.”
The red-haired man grinned.
“I'll have to get serious too.”
Shing.
The five swords on the red-haired man's back were drawn. The swords, wreathed in blue light, rose into the air on their own.
“I heard the rumors. That you can erase attacks. How many times can you do that?”
The swords accelerated. Moving freely as if they had a life of their own, they aimed for Taesan's entire body. In sync, the red-haired man rushed at Taesan.
‘Sword control?’
A sword art that didn't even seem like swordsmanship, where one freely controlled swords, something you'd only see in martial arts novels. That was what was unfolding now. Taesan moved his body.
He kicked off the ground to dodge a sword aiming for his legs and twisted his waist to let another pass by. Then he swung his own sword to parry.
Clang.
But he couldn't block every attack. With them coming from all directions, he inevitably allowed some through.
[Absolute Nullification of the First Attack has been activated.]
The state returned to before the blue sword struck him.
“It really feels like time is turning back.”
The red-haired man controlled the swords with an admiring expression. This time, they aimed for his upper body, lower body, and head. He bent back and moved his sword to block, but the blue swords, as if alive, followed his evasions to attack.
The attack nullifications were all used up. He moved his body violently to block the swords once again aiming for his entire body, but one sword grazed his shoulder.
[You have received 52 Damage.]
‘The damage isn't much different.’
The red-haired man's weapon was much better than Garant's, so if the damage was the same, it meant the damage came from the Aura itself, not the weapon.
“Is the magic limited to three times? What will you do now?”
The red-haired man grinned, continuously pressuring Taesan. Taesan moved his sword roughly.
Craaang!
With a loud roar, the red-haired man was thrown back.
“What?”
The red-haired man clutched his numb hand. It was a force that would have sent him rolling on the ground if he hadn't momentarily reinforced his body with Aura. Taesan looked at the red-haired man with an intrigued expression.
“So this is Aura.”
It was fascinating and tricky. The five blue swords that moved freely as if alive were impossible to block without magic or skills.
“It feels more like a skill than swordsmanship. It's unique.”
But it wasn't something he couldn't handle.
“I've grasped the concept.”
[You have activated Acceleration.]
He rushed toward the red-haired man at a speed incomparable to before. At a speed that broke the air, it was hard to follow with the eyes, but the red-haired man was a Sword Master. One who had trained with the sword his entire life.
He reflexively swung his hand, trying to embed the blue swords into Taesan's entire body. Taesan swung his sword fiercely. The blue swords shattered like glass.
“Y-you!”
The red-haired man clenched his fist roughly. Newly formed blue swords aimed at Taesan again. Blocking or dodging all of them was next to impossible.
Then he would just have to take them with his body. Taesan parried again, but some swords he couldn't block embedded themselves in him.
Thud.
The red-haired man's face brightened for a moment, only to distort horribly.
“What!”
Taesan's speed hadn't decreased at all. Swords were stuck in his arms and legs, but he rushed at the red-haired man as if it was no hindrance.
Clang.
The swords clashed. The red-haired man was completely overwhelmed. Taesan swatted aside the red-haired man's sword.
His own sword pierced the man's heart.
“I, I!”
The red-haired man shouted, vomiting a mouthful of blood. Those were his last words.
[Soul Rank Ascension has been activated. You have obtained the Special Passive Skill [Qualification: Proof of the Sword].]
“So this level is enough to gain a Soul Rank Ascension.”
Seeing that he didn't gain any stats, it seemed to have been a very close call. Taesan raised his head. The Sword Masters were staring at him with faces full of shock.
“Th-this is.”
“...I heard he was a Mage.”
“He's faster and stronger than us?”
The red-haired Sword Master belonged to a nation hostile to theirs. They should have been happy about his death, but the power Taesan had shown was too high-level for them to simply rejoice.
“...He's monstrously strong.”
A body that surpassed a Sword Master's while also using magic. It was an unacceptable level of strength. Moreover, Taesan hadn't even used magic.
The blue-haired man let out a groan.
“Where did someone like you come from?”
“From the Labyrinth.”
“Labyrinth?”
The blue-haired and white-haired men had no idea what he was talking about. But the blond man called Atria had an expression that suggested he had some inkling.
“The Labyrinth... could it be?”
Taesan paid close attention to his reaction. The blue-haired man bit his lip.
“We attack together. It hurts our pride, but... he's far stronger than us. You won't call us cowards, will you?”
“Do as you please.”
They took their stances. They began to surround Taesan. As the blue light rose, they charged.
Clang!
Taesan moved his Dual Swords to parry and deflect. He alternated between the first form, Wolf Fang, and the second form, The Dancer's Step, pressuring the Sword Masters.
‘Is his swordsmanship also superior to ours?’
The blue-haired man swung his sword fiercely with a grim face.
Kagagagak!
Crescent-shaped Auras shot out from his sword. They struck Taesan's limbs before he could react.
[Absolute Nullification of the First Attack has been activated.]
The projected Aura returned and flew at him again. Taesan quickly distanced himself.
Kwoong!
The Aura chopped down the trees. The blue-haired man's eyes sank even deeper.
“...Just as the rumors said, the time-reversing magic seems to apply to each individual. Just where did he learn such magic?”
While the blue-haired man felt dejected, Taesan was surprised in his own way. He had never imagined that Aura could be projected.
“Hup!”
Atria moved his greatsword with an interested look. The Aura layered over the greatsword was several times larger than the blade itself.
Kuuuung!
The sword, like the trunk of a tree, clashed with Taesan's. Pushed back by the force, Taesan's feet slid slightly to the side. The white-haired Sword Master brought his sword down on Taesan. The blue Aura imbued in the sword flickered like a snake and aimed for the nape of Taesan's neck.
[You have activated Repulsion.]
A formless force spread out from Taesan. As the white-haired man was pushed back slightly, Taesan created some distance.
‘This is straight out of a martial arts novel.’
Taesan let out a dry laugh as he dodged the projected Aura. In terms of strength and speed, he was overwhelmingly superior. In Labyrinth terms, the Sword Masters were at the level of the Adventurers from the 20th Floor that he had been killing.
It was surprising that they had become that strong without the aid of the system, but they weren't threatening. Looking at just strength and speed, he could crush them anytime. However, it was quite tricky.
Aura projected like sword energy. Aura moving from the sword like a living creature. And Aura that surpassed a greatsword, becoming as large as a building.
Because of the uniqueness of Aura and the damage that bypassed his defense, Taesan couldn't easily suppress them. He couldn't break through unless he was willing to take some damage.
Swiiish!
Aura was shot out like a storm. Taesan created distance and parried, but he couldn't block it completely. One Aura slashed Taesan's thigh.
[You have received 56 Damage.]
“Hup!”
The giant sword made of Aura was swung. Taesan blocked it but was pushed back and crashed into a tree.
‘Are they similar to me?’
Taesan had always faced enemies with superior stats and won by countering with information and skills. They were the same. Their stats were lower than Taesan's, but they were pressuring him using the outstanding technique called Aura.
But there was a crucial difference between Taesan and them.
[You have activated the Robe of Shadowy Maneuvers.]
The Robe of Shadowy Maneuvers, which concealed the body for one second. Upon activation, Taesan's body vanished. When even his presence disappeared, the Sword Masters stopped their swords in confusion.
In that gap, Taesan closed in on the white-haired Sword Master who wielded the greatsword.
Kwajik.
“Ugh!”
Reflexively sensing danger, the white-haired Sword Master formed his Aura into a shield, deflecting Taesan's sword. Taesan swung his sword again.
[You have activated Power Strike.]
Kwaang!
The Aura shattered. The white-haired Sword Master was left defenseless.
“No!”
They couldn't subdue him even with three of them. If one died, the result was obvious. The blue-haired Sword Master quickly shot out countless Auras, but he deflected their trajectory with Frost Arrow.
But he couldn't deflect all of them, and some embedded themselves in Taesan's body. His shoulder was mercilessly pierced. Taesan calmly raised his sword.
[You have activated Unbreakable Will. You can ignore injuries and fight for 10 seconds.]
Taesan's sword pierced the white-haired Sword Master. The white-haired man collapsed, vomiting blood. The blue-haired man screamed.
“Why won't you die!”
Aura had pierced Taesan's entire body. Despite his ghastly appearance, Taesan did not fall.
“Because I'm different from you.”
Taesan said nonchalantly and charged toward the blue-haired man. The blue-haired man gritted his teeth and used his Aura. An Aura that sliced through everything in its path flew toward him in a crescent shape.
Taesan's response was simple. He dodged the ones aimed at his head and heart, and charged while taking the rest. Unable to stop Taesan who disregarded defense, the blue-haired Sword Master died just like that.
“That hurts.”
Taesan pulled the sword from his stomach and checked his health.
[Shield: 0/192][Health: 1522/2250] “It went down quite a bit.”
Taesan wouldn't die even if a sword was stuck in his head or his heart was pierced. As long as his Health didn't reach 0, he was practically immortal. In contrast, they had very fragile bodies that would die if their chests were pierced or their heads were cut off.
The difference was clear.
“Still, it's good.”
On the other hand, it meant that against enemies far beneath him, he had to fight while taking health damage just because of Aura. Of course, Taesan wasn't going all out either. If he had used all his skills, he could have subdued them more easily.
For instance, just by activating Forced Duel, he could create a 1-on-1 situation, making it much easier to handle. But there would definitely have been a loss of health. Aura was worth that much.
“You're the only one left.”
Taesan pointed his sword at the blond Sword Master, Atria. Atria smirked and raised his hands.
“I surrender.”
Leveling up through battle